SELINSGROVE, Pa. (April 29, 2017) – Junior midfielder Nicole Kinney scored three goals in the final 10 minutes to help erase an 11-8 deficit, including the game-winner with four minutes left to lift the Drew University women's lacrosse team at Susquehanna University, 12-11, and clinch a berth in the 2017 Landmark Conference Championship.
 
By the Numbers: The Rangers will be the No. 4 seed in the postseason tournament and travel to top-seeded The University of Catholic on Wednesday, May 3 at 4 p.m. for the semifinals. Drew finishes the regular season with an 11-6 overall record and 4-2 grade in the Landmark, while the River Hawks close out at 8-8 and 2-4.
 
No. 3 Elizabethtown College will visit No. 2 The University of Scranton in the other semifinal.
 
Top Performers: Kinney's three-goal run to complete the comeback and eventually win the game was part of a four-goal performance for the junior. Senior midfielder Morgan Mason netted the seventh hat trick of the season, including a tally with 8:11 to go to bring Drew within one goal at 11-10. Senior goalkeeper Gianna Minogue made 12 saves in the playoff-clinching win.
 
The Difference: With both teams needing a win to qualify for the postseason, Susquehanna was in the driver's seat up 9-4 three minutes into the second half, and held an 11-8 lead with 12:55 to go. The Rangers responded with a pair of four-goal runs to stay in striking distance, and kept the River Hawks out of the net over the final 12:55 to claim the win.
 
Highlights: Freshman midfielder Allie DiDario scored the first of two goals to give the Rangers their only lead of the day before the final score at 2-1 two and a half minutes into the contest.
 
Susquehanna answered with an 8-2 run spanning the halftime intermission to take the 9-4 lead.
 
Drew's first four-goal run was sparked by senior attacker Theresa Shafron off a feed from classmate Anna Fiorini. Mason, DiDario and senior attacker Kelly Dwyer added goals as Drew trailed 9-8 with 14:40 to play.
 
Kinney tied the game and won the game on a pair of successful free position shots during crunch time. Her four goals on Saturday gave her 37 on the year, just behind Mason, who scored No. 40 in the win.
 
Up 12-11 with 3:55 left, Drew iced the game on defense as freshman midfielder Jenna Morelli caused a turnover, picked up the groundball and started the successful clear. The Rangers held possession until the final buzzer.
 
Stat Sheet: Minogue and the defense played a huge role in the victory as Susquehanna outshot Drew 38-25. The Rangers also relied on the all-important draw control, where they outdueled the River Hawks 14-10. Drew was slightly better on the clear (18-of-20 compared the SU's 19-of-23) and scored on 6-of-13 of its free position shots. Minogue didn't allow a single free position goal in six tries.